Alexa, It’s Me! An Online Survey on the User Experience of Smart Speaker Authentication

Abstract

Verifying the identify of the speaker is a crucial requirement for security-critical voice-based services on smart speakers, such as transferring money or making online purchases. Whilst various studies have explored novel authentication mechanisms for voice based services, there is little research on the user experience of respective authentication methods. To address this gap, we conducted a comprehensive online survey (n=696). We compared five authentication methods (spoken PIN, biometrics, app with button/voice confirmation, card reader) regarding their perceived efficiency, security, ease of use, and error susceptibility. Additionally, we investigated users’ willingness to use security-critical services in banking and government. We found an overall preference to confirm actions triggered by voice by pressing a button on a mobile authentication app followed by PIN-based authentication. In contrast, biometric authentication by voice is considered unreliable, while applying a card reader is regarded secure, yet less convenient.